Disappearing stairway



Jan. 15, 1952 R GRAN; 2,582,622

DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY Filed April 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 3 INVENTOR.

JON Q. can/e,-

A fromvE Y8.

J. R. CRAIG DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY Jan. 15, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 19, 1949 FIG.

I INVENTOR. dO/V R. .c'mq/G, z?

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 15; 1952 OFFICE I 2,582,622 DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY V v Jon B. Craig, Columbus, Ga. v Application April 19, 1949, Serial No. 88,273

2 Claims. (01.22840) UNITED sTArEs PATENT This invention relates to disappearing stairways. I

An object of the invention is the provision of adisappearing stairway which is employed as a means of access to an attic, said stairway being formed of a main section carrying a panel for closing an opening in the ceiling and one or more auxiliary sections slidable in snug relation on top of the main section when the stairway is stored in the atticabove the opening in the ceiling, counter-balances or springs being employed for aiding in raising or lowering the stairway or for aiding in retaining the stairway stored over the ceiling opening.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a disappearing stairway in which a main section has one end hinged to a casing embracing. an opening in a ceiling, the other end of said main section and an auxiliary section slidable on the main section being supported and controlled during raising and lowering of the main section by springs and arms with the arms rocking on fulcrums carried by the casing and with the springs pulling on the upper ends of the arms for counter-balancing the Weight of the stairway.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a disappearing stairway shown in an operative position,

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through a side of the casing which embraces the opening in a ceiling disclosing the means for controlling the positions of supporting arms for the stairway,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the coordinated elements shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the casing applied to the ceiling opening showing the sections of the stairway folded upon each other and stored in an attic space,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the pivotal connections between a supporting arm and the main section of the stairway,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end view of the construction illustrated in Figure 5,

Figure 7 shows more or less diagrammatically the movements of a supporting arm and controlling spring for the stairway,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the stairway showing a catch for holding a sliding section of the stairway in an operative position on the main section, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the stairway showing a hook for retaining a sliding section in an inoperative position on a main section. I s

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l0 designates a frame or casing which is employed generally in connection with openings formed in the ceiling of a building to provide an entrance to an attic space. The opening is rectangular so that the frame Will have parallel side walls II and I2 and parallel end walls I 3and M.

A panel l5 for closing the elongated opening in the frame it) has one end hinged to the lower edgeof the end wall l3. A main section l6 of the stairway is secured to the upper face of the panel and swings with said panel. The main section includes steps I! and parallel supporting rails I 8.

An auxiliary section 20 has spaced treads 2| connected together by spaced parallel supporting rails22. -Hooks 23 pivotally mounted on pins 24 carried by the inner races of the rails 22 are adapted to connect with pins 25 projecting from the inner faces of the. rails [8 of the section I6 adjacent the lower end thereof when the section 20 has been extended from the main section I6 (Figs. 1 and 8). The lower ends of the rails 22 are sheared off at an angle for neat engagement with the floor of a building. A hook 26 pivoted on the outer face of one of the rails- 22 of the section20 is adapted to receive an adjacently'disposed pin 25 for retaining the section 20 on the section 16 when the stairway is moved into storage (Fig. 9). If .desired, two hooks 26 may be employed.

Two supporting arms 30 have the lower ends pivoted on bolts 3| secured to the rails I 8 of the main section of the stairway and adjacent the lower or free ends Of said rails (Fig. 6). A sleeve 32 is mounted in each bolt for spacing the lower ends of the arms from the outer faces of the rails l8. Inner edges 30a of the arms 30 are maintained in engagement with rollers 33 mounted on bolts 34 carried by the side walls II and I2 of the frame or casing I!) (Fig. 2). A washer 35 on the inner end of each bolt 34 aids in retaining the arms on the rollers.

Coil springs 40 have one end attached in any approved manner to the upper edge of the rear wall l3 of the frame l0. Thes springs extend forwardly and each has the other end secured to an adjacently disposed upper end of an arm 30. The springs tend at all times to pull on the upper ends of the arms and maintain said arms against the rollers 33 which act as fulcrums for the arms during the'raising or lowering of the stairway.

Stops 4| (Figs. 1 and 2) on the arms are adapted to contact the upper edges of the side walls I I and I2 for limiting downward movement of said arms and likewise the-main section l6 of the stairway. A rope or chain 42 has one end secured to the free end of the panel while the free end of said rope is adapted to be grasped by the operator for lowering thestairway. V Y I I The operation'ofmy device is as;fol lows:. j1he springs fill ar'e shificiehtly strong to counterbalance approximately the weight W (Fig. '7) of V the stairway so that it will not require any great amount of force to raise or lower the stairway. Furthermore the arms 30 acting as levers engage the rollers 33 which act as fulcrums. It is 'to be ,said bars and said one end of said frame. -2. A disappearing ladder for buildings comprisingan npen frame, a closure positioned withborne in mind that the points on-:-the lever-arms 30 where engaged by the fulcrums 33 vary asthe a to :the shorter portions of the lever-arms 30 by hhepul-l on the rope 2 and the weight of the stairway multiplied many times by the longer in said open frame and having one end mounted ononeend of said frame for swinging movement einto .and out ofolosing relation therewith, an extension ladder positioned on the inner face of said stairway is raised or lowered so that the'iatio o'losu-reand fixedly secured to e e means carried by said frame and operatively connected to saidxclosure for normally. positioning theilatter in closing relation with respect to said framasaid means-comprising agpair of. opposed rollers positioned-within said frame adjacent the sides there- 'of'emdxmounted thereon for rotation abouta transverse axis, apair of supporting bars extend? portion 2140f the lever arms to overcome the pull of the springs A13. 'InFigure 1 theshor-ter portions of the arms 38 .are acted on by the springs 40-to overcome approximately the weight of the stairway. V

:ApullLontherope 42 lowers the stairway in folded condition and'the main section ifi' has its free end supported by the stops 4| on the arms 30, The catch or hook 26 is-released-from the pin 25 to permit the auxiliary section to slide downwardly until the lower end rests upon the floor. Thehoo'ks 2 3 am then engaged on -the pins '25. 'I'hestairway isreadyfor use. A- re *versal of the above described operations will place ing through said frame intermediate the other end thereof andnaid rollers, means pi-votallycone nectingsaid supporting arms to .said ladder adjacent ito :and spaced from the other end of said closuraresi-lient means carried-by said frame ad? jacent-said one end thereof and operatively :connected :tothe other end of each of said supporting bars for urging said arms intoaengagemen tavith said rollers, and Lhand. aotuable-rmeans carrieduby said *closure for swinging; the latter into and out ofolosing relation -.with-said frame, .said.supporting barsswinging about said rollersaacting-asa fulcrum. I

. JON R. CRAIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: r

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 422,678 Wood Mar. 4, [89.0 481,798 Lodge Aug. 3Q, 1892 597,457 Clinkinbeard San. 1*8, 15898 1330553229 Marschke May 1-9, 1931 2,163,142 Frazier June 20, 19.39 

